The first meeting between President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, began with a handshake analyzed around the world.
Behind the scenes with our photographer: Ahead of the #G20-heads of states and government “retreat” on fighting international terrorism. pic.twitter.com/gCTGjjBw7p
— Steffen Seibert (@RegSprecherStS) July 7, 2017
This photo already everywhere in Russian media (as was a similar one with Obama). Putin knows how to play this game. Trump reaching to him. pic.twitter.com/3Hn4DQUpLy
— Garry Kasparov (@Kasparov63) July 7, 2017
The meeting between Trump and Putin, though only slotted to last for half an hour, wound up running for more two hours, according to reports by NBC News and CNN. In order to prevent leaking, Trump insisted that only six people enter the room where he and Putin talked — himself, Putin, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and two interpreters, according to a report by The New York Times.
“I hope that, as you have said, our meetings will yield positive results,” Putin said before the meeting.
The meeting opened with Trump talking about the 2016 election. Putin denied involvement.
NEWS: Sec. Tillerson says President Trump *opened* his lengthy meeting with Putin by discussing Russian meddling in the 2016 election
— Monica Alba (@albamonica) July 7, 2017
According to Lavrov, Trump accepted Putin’s position that Russia wasn’t involved. Tillerson was more forceful, however.
Putin's denial of election interference is a hindrance to moving the US-Russia relationship forward, Tillerson tells press in Germany. https://t.co/XESzQibVkJ
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) July 7, 2017
Russia's foreign minister says that Donald Trump "accepts" President Putin's statements that Russia did not meddle in US election.
— Steve Rosenberg (@BBCSteveR) July 7, 2017
According to Lavrov, Trump told Putin some circles in America were "exaggerating" allegations of Russian interference in the US election.
— Steve Rosenberg (@BBCSteveR) July 7, 2017
One possible achievement from the meeting: A ceasefire in southeastern Syria between Russia and America was announced during their meeting, according to a report by the Associated Press. The ceasefire will take effect at noon Damascus time on Sunday.
If there’s something else to take from the meeting between Trump and Putin (aside from the pesky allegations that the latter meddled in the election which empowered the former), it that we can finally say that the two have met. This follows years of admissions and denials that they’ve come face to face..
If nothing else, this meeting eliminates the possibility that Trump will deny knowing Putin in the future. And given Putin’s disparaging quip at the expense of reporters (“These are the ones that insulted you?”), it seems like they at least commiserated over their mutual disdain for journalistic criticism.
"These are the ones that insulted you?" Putin asked Trump, gesturing at the journalists being ushered out of the room. Chuckles all around https://t.co/yNiAF3Skfr
— Alec Luhn (@AlecLuhn) July 7, 2017
